


Stay Gold

by TheEasternEmpress



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Gen, I haven’t read The Outsiders in years so sorry if I mess it up, I just saw it on my bookshelf and thought it was something Jason would like, I tried to make Alfred’s thoughts on Bruce’s and Jason’s fight ambiguous, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Jason has a Wonder Woman doll because I say so, Mentions of Barbara Gordon, but I say let that motherfucker die, mentions of Dick Grayson - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28207311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEasternEmpress/pseuds/TheEasternEmpress
Summary: A story of how quality reading time for two Robins helped to mend their broken hearts.
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne & Jason Todd
Comments: 8
Kudos: 30





	1. Alfred & Jason

**Author's Note:**

> All excerpts from The Outsiders belong to their rightful owners. I put this in the tags, but there are mentions of child sexual abuse in both these chapters. I haven’t written anything batfam-related in years, but I hope you enjoy this!

Alfred could hear Jason’s voice yelling even from a few feet behind the closed entrance to the Batcave. From what Alfred had heard over the comms tonight, he knew that Jason’s patrol tonight had not gone well. He hadn’t gotten all of the details yet, but he was sure he would soon. 

Alfred entered the Batcave as silently as ever, but he was paid no attention as the fight between father and son continued. Alfred stood silently as the bickering continued, listening intently to try to understand what had his Masters so filled with rage.

“You know that asshole deserved it, Bruce! Criminal scum like that don’t change!” Jason screamed, face red with rage. 

“That’s not for us to decide! We get criminals to the police and let them go through the justice system just like everyone else. We don’t get to decide their fate,” Bruce argued back. 

“You fuckin’ know that the system is rigged! Even if Trayer gets arrested, he’s gonna be back out in the streets in a few years. Prison ain’t gonna change him!” 

After several minutes of silently listening, Alfred had managed to put the story together. Jason had run off on his own and found the location of Shawn Trayer, one of the men running a local child prostitution ring. After breaking into the man’s apartment, Jason beat the man black and blue only to push him off of his balcony into oncoming traffic. Bruce had arrived just as Jason shoved the man and had managed to barely catch the man before his skull hit concrete. 

Jason had been arguing that Trayer had deserved to die for the crimes he had committed, but Bruce shut Jason down with the argument that killing is off the table for either of them. As Batman and Robin, it was their job to show Gotham that justice came from a prison sentence, not a death sentence. 

Alfred understood both sides of the argument and knew why both father and son were upset. With Jason’s upbringing on the streets of Gotham, Alfred was sure that he’d seen his fair share of child prostitution and likely seen some of his childhood friends turn to prostitution as a means of income. Alfred shuddered at the thought of the boy he so dearly loved being forced into such a career, but in the back of his head, he knew that it was a likely scenario. The childhood that Jason had lived was enough to make anyone believe that certain people deserved death. 

For Bruce, watching his parents die in front of him had changed his life in a thousand and one ways. Every time Bruce saw death, he also saw how that death would impact the deceased person’s loved ones. Alfred knew that with every death Bruce witnessed, he relived the death of his parents. He wished desperately that this trauma had not impacted Bruce’s life the way it did and even as he tried to give him the best possible upbringing, he knew he could not fill the crater that his parents left. 

Jason’s punishment for his actions tonight was severe. He was not allowed on patrol for the next three weeks and could only help Bruce with cases if Bruce believed he needed help. Knowing how Bruce was, Alfred knew that meant never. While other children might have their technology taken away or be unable to see their friends after school, Alfred knew that this was the kind of punishment that would hurt Jason the most. Even though Alfred knew all of this came from anger, he doubted that Bruce would retract any of the punishments once he cooled down. 

Jason stormed off upstairs a moment later and Alfred didn’t miss the glimmer of tears in his eyes. Alfred could tell that the boy cared deeply for the things that he defended, and he was very proud of him for that. It was not a trait often found in someone of his age. Alfred made a mental note to talk to Jason later but first, he had some serious words for Bruce.

“Master Bruce, do you not think your punishment was a bit harsh? Master Jason was out of line, but you are taking away the things he loves the most,” Alfred said in a soft voice. He didn’t want to take a side in this argument, but he felt the need to defend Jason. 

Bruce sighed and stuck his face in his hands as he took a deep breath. Dragging his hands down his face, he replied, “He could have killed a man tonight, Alfred. How would I be able to look at my own son again, knowing he killed a man in cold blood? He knows my rules, now he knows the punishment for breaking them.”

Bruce’s voice was harsh, but Alfred knew it was because he cared for his son. Still, he knew that was something that Jason would have difficulty understanding. 

“I understand, sir. I know this is a sensitive topic for both you and Master Jason. If you’ll excuse me now, I’ll begin preparing a late-night meal for you,” Alfred spoke, fully intending to use this as an excuse to check on Jason. 

“Thanks Alfred, but I’m not hungry,” Bruce responded before turning his chair and opening a file on his computer. Alfred nodded and made his way out of the Batcave and up to Jason’s room. His door was shut and if Alfred listened closely, he could hear Jason sniffling inside of his room. 

Alfred gave two solids knocks to the door and spoke, “Master Jason? It’s Alfred. I’ve come to make sure you’re alright.” 

Jason sniffled a few more times, no doubt trying to wipe his tears and hide the fact that he had been crying, before Alfred heard the door unlock and open slightly. Alfred pushed the door open as Jason climbed back into his bed. 

Alfred didn’t miss how his Wonder Woman doll, a gift from Dick, was clutched in his hand and that there were tear streaks evident on his face. His blue eyes were puffy and red and Alfred felt his heart sink at the sadness of the boy in front of him. 

“I’m sorry to hear about the events of tonight, Master Jason. Is there anything I can do for you?” Alfred asked in a soft, soothing voice. 

Jason took a deep breath and sighed it out before responding, “I just don’t get it. We’ve seen over and over again that men like Trayer get back out on the street. I mean, we see it every other week with Joker! I wanna follow Bruce’s rules, but they just aren’t working.”

Alfred could tell that Jason was upset and wanted to talk, so he continued the conversation with a, “I understand that Master Bruce’s solutions may not work all of the time, but they are the most moral. The police and the justice system decide the fate of criminals, not Batman and Robin.” 

Jason sighed again, clutching his Wonder Woman doll closer to his chest and said, “And I get that Alfie, truly I do, but I just get so angry when I see men like that Trayer trash. Nobody deserves to go through the things he put those children through. Here and now, I know that it isn’t my place to decide his fate but when I’m out in the field, I just get so angry. Maybe I don’t deserve to be Robin after all.” 

Jason practically shriveled in on himself after he finished speaking, shame filling his heart at the thought of disappointing his father. 

“That is absolutely untrue, Master Jason,” Alfred spoke in a harsh but honest voice, “You have done so much good as Robin and Gotham is a better and safer place because of you. If you only focus on your mistakes, you’ll never be able to grow and improve. You deserve to be Robin just as much as Master Bruce deserves to be Batman. A mistake that you show remorse for does not change that.” 

Jason smiled and ran a hand through his hair. Alfred knew that the boy was still not used to praise and it always made him act a little shy. Nonetheless, Alfred was happy to see a smile from him.

“Thank you, Alfie. That means a lot.” 

“You’re very welcome, Master Jason. I’m glad we had this talk.” 

Alfred still felt sympathy for the boy. Fighting with a parent was something that both parent and child would suffer from, but Bruce hid his emotions much better than Jason, who almost constantly wore his heart on his sleeve. There was no doubt that talking through his feelings had helped, but Alfred wished he could do more for Jason. 

With that thought in mind, Alfred remembered how when Dick had first come to the Manor and was still having nightmares about his parents’ death, either Bruce or Alfred would spend the night comforting him. When Bruce was unavailable, Alfred would spend the night reading to Dick until his mind was off of his parents and he was able to fall back asleep. Knowing how much Jason loved reading, Alfred had a good feeling that this would be a good suggestion for cheering up the boy. 

“Master Jason, if you would humor an old man, I would very much like to spend some reading time with you. I’m sure you must be tired and want to go to bed, but it’s a Friday night and I’m sure it would be alright if you went to bed a little later than normal,” Alfred said. 

Jason’s eyes lit up as he exclaimed, “That sounds great, Alfie!” 

Alfred was about to respond when Jason’s smile dropped and he interrupted, “Do you think Bruce would be angry if I stayed up late?”

Alfred sighed, upset with how Jason thought such a thing would get him in trouble. He knew that Jason’s mind was still fresh with the words of his argument with his father, but Alfred didn’t want him walking around on eggshells for the next few weeks in fear of angering Bruce.

“No, Master Jason, I do not,” Alfred replied, “And if he has a problem with it, he’s more than welcome to take it up with me.” That brought the smile back on Jason’s face. 

Alfred instructed, “You pick out the book and I’ll go make us some tea.” Jason nodded and hoped out of bed with all of the energy a boy his age should have.

Barbara had taken Jason to Barnes & Noble about a week ago and Alfred was sure that most of the books Jason had brought home laid untouched, especially since he had come home with an armful of library books just a few days before their trip. Either way, Alfred knew there was plenty of reading material for the boy to choose from. 

Alfred returned to Jason’s room with two steaming cups of chamomile only to find Jason still standing in front of his bookshelf with three books in his hand and an indecisive look on his face. 

“Trouble picking out a book, Master Jason?” Alfred inquired, setting the tea tray on Jason’s desk. 

“Yeah, I can’t decide between these three,” he admitted, “So far I’ve got  _ The Fellowship of the Ring, The Outsiders,  _ and  _ To Kill a Mockingbird _ .”

“All very good selections, but I’m afraid that  _ The Fellowship of the Ring _ would take many nights to get through. It’s a difficult read for any age.” 

“Hmm…Barbara did say I would like  _ The Outsiders. _ Let’s start with that.” 

“Very good, sir.” 

It had been many years since Alfred had last read this book, so he was happy to get to do so with Jason. Jason passed the book to Alfred before hopping into bed while Alfred pulled up a chair to Jason’s bedside. 

Once Alfred was sure that himself and Jason were comfortable, he began the book with the line, “When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.”

***

By the time Alfred finished the second chapter, he could tell that Jason was barely able to keep his eyes open. Alfred knew that the boy was doing his best to pay attention, but the events of the day were beginning to take their toll on him. 

“I think this is a good place to stop,” Alfred stated, making a mental note of where they had stopped so they could continue with further reading nights. 

Jason nodded and let out a big yawn. Alfred ensured that the boy was tucked in properly before stroking his hair softly and bidding him good night. As tired as Jason was, he still managed to mumble a good night back before drifting off. 

Alfred shut Jason’s door quietly and walked the short distance to his own room. He knew that Jason and Bruce would always have their differences and their fights, but he was happy to act as the mediator because he knew that despite their anger, father and son deeply loved each other. 


	2. Jason & Damian

“We’ve been over this a thousand times, Damian! You follow my rules or you lose Robin privileges! Your actions tonight were unacceptable!”

“He deserved to die, Father! He’s been a criminal for over a decade now and the only way to stop him was by killing him!” 

Alfred sighed as Bruce and Damian continued to argue, simply standing by and observing the fight. The rest of Bruce’s children had rushed up to their rooms as soon as the fight began, clearly wanting nothing to do with it. Alfred, of course, knew that children would be children and they were probably finding some way to eavesdrop on this intense argument.

In all of his years, Alfred had never enjoyed having to bear witness to a single argument in this household. As well-behaved as all of the Wayne children usually were, the tragedy and traumas they had gone through often bubbled up into miscommunications that led to later-regretted shouting matches.

Tonight was no different. Damian had broken away from Bruce and found Shawn Trayer, the very same man who his older brother had tried to kill all those years ago, only to kill him without hesitation. Damian refused to tell anyone what he had caught Trayer doing, but Alfred didn’t need much of an imagination to figure out what it was. As Jason had said all those years ago, men like Trayer don’t change.

“For the last time Damian, we don’t kill! Leave your gear here and go to your room!” Bruce yelled with a harsh tone. Father and son had been repeating themselves for several minutes now, but neither of them were listening to the other side. Alfred had been tempted to intervene to end the fight for several minutes now, but he knew that the fight would eventually have to come to a halt. 

“I wish I had stayed with mother and grandfather! I hate your rules and I hate you!” Damian snarled before turning and running out of the Batcave, bloody katana still clutched in his hand. 

Alfred stayed silent as Bruce sunk deeper into his chair, head tilted towards the ceiling. Alfred didn’t have to look hard to tell that Bruce was watching the bats scurrying across the cave walls as he tried to calm his breathing. It had been something he had done for years to distract himself from his surroundings and re-focus himself. 

After a few minutes went by, Alfred spoke softly, “Master Bruce, I understand your anger and frustration at tonight’s incident, but I urge you not to forget that Damian is still your son. The events of tonight will no doubt change your perception of him, but do not forget that he still needs your love and care.”

Bruce sighed, but Alfred could tell his words had impacted him. 

Bruce was silent for a moment before he quietly replied, “I’ve loved Damian as my son, but how am I supposed to love him knowing he disobeyed my most important rule under my watch?” His voice trembled as he spoke and Alfred knew that the events of tonight bothered Bruce more than he would ever share. 

“I suppose you will just have to accept that the boy has killed a man, Master Bruce,” Alfred explained, “As time goes on, you will learn to forgive him for his actions. He has been through far too much for a child of his age, but I believe all he needs is a little more guidance. He has already come so far since you took him in.”

Bruce sat in silence, taking in Alfred’s words with sadness gleaming in his eyes. Most people would not be able to see such a thing, but Alfred knew the man before him better than anyone. 

“You’re right, Alfred. This is going to take time to recover from, but he’s still my son,” Bruce replied. Alfred smiled at the man before him, knowing that their journey with Damian was far from over. 

While Alfred continued his conversation with Bruce in the Batcave, Damian stormed his way upstairs to his room. He was fully prepared to pack a bag and flee the Manor for who-knows-where, but he didn’t care where he was going as long as he was away from here. 

As Damian was wildly stuffing his backpack with whatever he could fit in it, Jason came by to see what all the commotion was about. He’d come by the Manor after patrol to discuss the newest book that he and Alfred were reading, but came upstairs to investigate after it seemed like everyone was scattered across the house. He’d heard about Bruce and Damian’s fight involving Shawn Trayer’s death, but he had no idea how serious it was.

“What’s going on in here, little man?” Jason teased, “Got a late night project or somethin’?”

Damian growled and barked, “None of your business, Todd!” 

“Whoa, buddy! I’m just checking up on you!” 

“I don’t need a babysitter, especially not if it’s you!” 

Jason was ready to hiss back at his youngest brother, but he stopped himself. Even though Damian never acted like it, Jason reminded himself that he truly was just a twelve year old kid even if the things he had been exposed to made him try to act like an adult. 

Alfred often told Jason of Bruce’s issues raising the youngest Wayne because of his years under Ra’s al Ghul. In Jason’s mind, there was no doubt that there were many similarities between himself and his younger brother. 

Jason stood in silence, trying to think of what he could do to ease Damian’s rage. He usually never cared to help cool his brother down from a fight, but Jason saw the reflection of an old fight with Bruce in tonight’s argument. 

Jason spoke with a calm and steady voice, “I’m sorry that Bruce got upset with you, Damian. He shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.”

Damian stopped packing at his brother’s words. It wasn’t often that someone took his side in an argument, especially when it involved killing someone. He’d always been told that he was too young to understand a certain thing and that he should just listen to the adults around him because they knew that was best. Even though Damian would never admit it, he was grateful that Jason was here. 

A silence settled over the two brothers, neither of them knowing what to say next. Jason eventually broke the silence by confessing, “Ya know, when I was just a little bit older than you, I tried to kill Trayer too.” 

Damian was taken aback for a moment before snarkily replying, “With your track record, I’m surprised you haven’t tried to kill everyone in Gotham.”

Jason gave a short laugh before continuing, “Bruce won’t be happy to hear me say it, but Trayer deserved to die. I found him running a child prostitution ring and beat the shit out of him for it.” 

Damian was quiet for a moment before he mumbled, “Do you promise to keep a secret?” His voice sounded every bit of the twelve year old that he was, so Jason had no choice but to say yes. Damian sat on the end of his bed and gestured for Jason to sit next to him. 

Damian took a deep breath and looked around to make sure that he and Jason were truly alone. It took him another minute before he continued, “I…I found him with one of my classmates at Gotham Academy. I can’t remember her name, but she was crying and he…he was yelling at her to shut up.” 

Damian stammered for a moment, wanting to continue but the sob bubbling up in his throat prevented him from speaking. Jason placed a hand on Damian’s shoulder and said, “It’s alright, Damian. It’s over now. You did well.” 

The two brothers sat on the end of Damian’s bed quietly, Jason providing support for his younger brother as tears silently dripped down the young boy’s face. 

As they sat in silence, Jason remembered his first major fight with Bruce and how Alfred had come up to his room to spend time with him. He had read a few chapters of  _ The Outsiders _ , a book he now cherished, and helped him calm down. 

“How about you get in bed now? I remember something Alfred did for me the first time I got benched as Robin and it helped a lot. Maybe it’ll help you, too,” Jason spoke, unsure if Damian would accept his offer. 

Damian sniffled and tried to discreetly wipe his tears away before replying, “Alfred won’t be happy if I get into bed without showering.”

“Well, how about you go shower and get into your pajamas and I’ll get some things ready? If you leave that katana here, I’ll clean it for you too.”

Damian was quiet for a moment before he mumbled out an, “Okay.” Jason smiled and ruffled his hair, which earned him a growl and a swat from his younger brother. 

Damian entered the bathroom attached to his room and closed and locked the door. Jason spent a few minutes cleaning the dried blood off of Damian’s katana before polishing it until it looked brand new. He headed into his childhood bedroom and plucked his copy of  _ The Outsiders  _ off of his old bookshelf and dropped it off in Damian’s room. By the time he was done making himself a cup of tea in the kitchen, he heard Damian’s shower turn off. 

Jason carefully walked upstairs to Damian’s room with his tea carefully balanced in one hand. By the time he reached Damian’s room, his brother was already sitting in bed and examining the worn book.

“Took you long enough, Todd,” Damian taunted, “I was starting to get bored.”

“Oh, please excuse me. I’d never want to bore the Blood Son,” Jason retorted, setting his tea down on Damian’s bedside table. Damian rolled his eyes, but didn’t respond. 

Jason moved to sit on the edge of Damian’s queen-sized bed while Damian got himself comfortable in his blankets. Jason began reading in a soft, clear voice. Jason was worried that Damian wouldn’t focus on the book, but it seemed he had his full attention. 

Damian laughed at the names “Ponyboy” and “Sodapop”, but it didn’t bother Jason. The book held far too many good memories for it to be corrupted by what his younger brother thought. Jason remembered how Alfred continued to read the book to him every night in secret, and then managed to take a section of his day off so they could watch  _ The Outsiders _ movie together. Without a doubt, those were some of Jason’s fondest memories of his years at the Manor. 

Towards the end of chapter one, Alfred the cat snuck into Damian’s room and pounced on the boy’s bed. He curled himself up at Damian’s feet before dozing off. The cat seemed to further ease the tension and anger in Damian’s body and Jason saw that now, he was truly relaxed. 

Just as Jason had begun to fall asleep at the end of chapter two all those years ago, Damian struggled to stay awake as well. 

Noticing his brother drifting off, Jason shut the book and spoke, “I think that’s a good stopping point for tonight.” 

Eyes closed, Damian only nodded in response. Jason turned off Damian’s lamp, gave Alfred the cat a few pets, and was halfway out the door when he heard a quiet, “Thank you, Jason.”

Jason smiled to himself and replied, “You’re welcome, Damian. Good night.” 

Jason closed Damian’s door with a soft smile still on his face. He admitted that he was never very good at comforting others and he was still learning how to be a good older brother, but he thought that he did well tonight. Hopefully, he had made Alfred proud. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! The second chapter will be up in a few days!!


End file.
